Valve for self-playing musical instruments.



W. A. BRAUER.

VALVE FOR SELF PLAYING MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 25, 1912.

1,1 31,203. Patented Mar. 9, 1915.

@44 8 5' r 4 an R 5 "I" if 6 K5 7% m P r A r INVENTOR W flaw WILLIAM A. BRAUER, OF NORTH 'ION'AWANDA, NEW YORK.

VALVE FOR SELF-PLAYING MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 9, 1915.

Application filed July 25, 1912. Serial No. 711,522.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM A. BRAUER, a citizen of the United States, residing at North Tonawanda count of Nia ara and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Valves for SelfPlaying Musical Instruments, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to valves for selfplaying musical instruments.

As heretofore generally constructed, valves for windchests and other pneumatics of selfplaying musical instruments have been in several parts and kept in position by guides or ways.

My objects are to dispense with guides or ways for valves of this character and to provide a simple and inexpensive onepiece valve of novel construction whereby it is adapted to guide and seat itself, and to act quickly and reliably, besides permitting uniformity of manufacture at all times.

The invention consists of the combination of an improved valve and valve-stem, with seats and ports controlled thereby, as set forth hereinafter and recited in the appended claims.

Tn the accompanying drawings: Figure 1 is a side elevation of the valve; Figs. 2 and 3, opposite end views thereof; and Fig. i, a section through a windchest, showing the use of the valve.

The valve is made from a single piece of material, hard rubber, vulcanite fiber, or wood being good substances for this purpose. The valve disk 1 and its stem are in a single piece, the latter being in two parts, 2 and 2, the part 2 terminating in an enlarged button 3 having a flat outer face 3 said button being joined to the stem by a tapered or coned part 2. The stem 2 joins the valve by a tapered or coned part 2. The part 2 is joined to the valve by a tapered or coned part 2 So far as I am aware, 1 am the first to devise a valve of this character with its two-part stem and valve in a single or integral piece, thus cheapening the cost of manufacture, insuring uniformity of dimensions in all valves made and by the provision of the coned parts 2, 2 rendering the valve self-seating, and dispensing with the guides heretofore employed, as will presently appear.

Referring to Fig. 4, the valve is shown in position in a windchest, the upper and lower faces of the valve disk 1 respectively, seating over the ports 41 leading to the atmosphere, or over port 5 leading to channel 5 according as the valve is raised or lowered. The button 3 rests on the diaphragm 6 which is controlled from the tracker board by pipe 7 in the usual manner. A bleed 7 leads from pipe 7 to channel 5% The coned parts 2 and 2 are adapted to engage the margins of the ports at and 5, according as the valve is raised or lowered bv diaphragm 6, thereby guiding the valve disk 1 so that it accurately seats in both instances, no guides being nec essary. The pipe 8 leads from the suction bellows to channel 5 The pipe 8 connects channel 5 with a sticker.

When the top 8 of the windchest is off, the valves can be quickly and easily dropped into position with their buttons 3 resting on the diaphragms 6 which are then exposed to view. All of the valves being similar and interchangeable, an inexperienced person can readily place the valves in the chest. The valves being in one piece, cannot become out of proper adjustment; while dispensing with the multipart valve structure, including guides, heretofore used, greatly cheapens the cost of manufacture and assembly.

Normally the valve is in the position shown; as the suction through pipe 8 seats the valve over port 5 and by means of the bleed 7 suction is also maintained beneath the diaphragm 6. When a perforation in the music sheet coincides with an opening of pipe 7, the air rushes into the space below diaphragm 6, raising it and the valve which then closes port 4, allowing the air to suck through pipe 8, port 5, channel 5 and pipe 8". As soon as the music sheet again covers an opening in the tracker, the

valve resumes its former position.

I do not limit myself to making the valve in one piece, except where so specified in the claims, as the stem and valve disk may be made separately.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. The combination with two ports and two seats arranged in alinement, of a single, flat, double-faced valve having a stem comprising parts extending out from its opposite flat sides, both parts of said stem being tapered or coned where they join the faces of the valve, the said stem being loosely and freely received in the ports and of a size and so positioned as to adapt them to engage ports aforesaid, the ports constituting the sole guides for the valve. the latter being othei wise entirely unmounted and free for movement: In testimony signature in presence of two witnesses.

" WILLIAM A. BRAUER.

Witnesses; W. D. TRIMBLE,

C. S. ORTON.

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